In India, the hot, humid weather conditions, result in the skin secreting more oil. This, when left untreated, leads to clogged pores, blackheads and unnecessary build-up of dead skin cells, making it difficult to have clear and healthy skin. Treating oily skin is important because excess oil production is the leading cause of pimples and acne. Here’s what to look for in skin care products if you have oily skin:

Salicylic acid

Use products containing salicylic acid—this is a natural beta-hydroxy acid that is derived from willow bark. Willow bark has been used throughout the ages to prevent acne and oily skin. Thankfully, science has empowered us to extract the salicylic acid from nature to give better and faster results.

Look out for: To get the maximum benefits of this ingredient, pick a cleanser and moisturiser that contains two per cent salicylic acid. Check for the ‘Technologically Proven’ tag for irritation-free results.

Sulphur

This is a natural element present in every cell of our body and hence it rarely causes allergies. [Sulphur is not to be confused with sulpha drugs, which are a group of antibiotics containing chemical ingredients.] Sulphur is a miracle ingredient for oily skin and pimples because it has multiple benefits. It is antibacterial, thereby effective at killing the bacteria that cause pimples. It is also anti-seborrheic, meaning it reduces oil secretion by the sebaceous glands. Finally, it also has keratolytic properties, which means that it promotes the quick shedding and exfoliation of dead skin cells that clog pores and cause breakouts. So, go for the products containing sulphur.

Look out for: Browse for products with BioSulphur, a sulphur molecule that has been biologically modified to be better accepted by the skin for gentler and more effective results.

Vitamin A derivatives

Some of the most important ingredients for treating oily and acne-prone skin are derivatives of vitamin A, called retinoids. These include [in the order of strongest to gentlest] tretinoin, adapalene, retinol and retinyl palmitate. All of these retinoids act by causing old skin cells to shed—revealing newer skin cells. Thus, retinoids make the skin even and balanced, while also preventing and treating oily skin and pimples.

Look out for: Select the one that suits your skin best—the strongest of the vitamin A derivative to the gentlest—depending on your skin sensitivity.

Getting healthy skin is one thing, managing it is another. Here is a guide to manage the skin you’ve achieved:

Frequent washing = excess oil

It is easy to fall into the trap of washing your face multiple times a day to get rid of excess oil. However, over-washing can result in over-drying of your skin, which paradoxically results in excess oil production. Constant face cleansing strips your skin of oil, causing your oil glands to work overtime and produce more sebum. Don’t wash your face more than twice a day, and never use soap, as soap can cause over-drying of the skin.

The secret non-block ingredient

Products that contain comedogenic ingredients have the risk of clogging your pores to create blackheads and whiteheads. Non-comedogenic ingredients do not cause skin breakouts and prevent acne from occurring, especially in oily and acne-prone skin.

Use products that have been certified by dermatologists. They analyse the ingredients to ensure that a product can be classified as non-comedogenic.

Mineral mantra

Always avoid oil- and cream-based makeup. Mineral-based makeup is the best option for those with oily skin as it is safe and non-comedogenic. Mineral-based makeup differs from traditional makeup in a very specific way. It contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which have been proven to improve the condition of your skin with continued use by protecting it from the sun.

Most other cosmetics have a multitude of ingredients including fragrances, preservatives, dyes, and other harmful additives. These ingredients can be damaging to the pores and the skin’s general appearance. Mineral based products do not react with your skin, and are hence ideal for sensitive, acne-prone or damaged skin.

Stress management

Managing stress is the foundation of a healthy body and mind. But did you know that coping with stress helps maintain a healthy supple skin too? Stress is one of major triggers of oil secretion.

Simple techniques like exercise, meditation and yoga are by far the easiest and most efficient ways to deal with stress. So now you have yet another incentive to lace up your sneakers.

Over-exposure to the sun

We repeatedly hear that over-exposure to the sun is detrimental to one’s skin. That’s because UV rays from harsh sunlight harms the skin and is also a leading cause of skin cancer. However, no sun is also as bad as over-exposure. The best protection is to avoid the sun in peak hours and apply sunscreen on any uncovered areas.

Toning art

The skin is a wondrous organ. It naturally self-regulates its pH and its health. Many people still adhere to the CTM model of cleanse-tone-moisturise in order to ensure that the skin’s pH is balanced after cleansing. However, some of these toners contain alcohol, which over-dries and irritates the skin. So, watch out for those products that contain alcohol as they can damage your skin in the long-term.

This was first published in the June 2013 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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What is dry skin?

Dry skin means a reduced percentage of water in the skin. The less hydrated your skin, the greater the loss of important nutrients such as natural moisturising factors, lipids and more. As these nutrients bind water, it causes more moisture loss, resulting in a vicious circle of ever-worsening parched skin. This dehydration develops into tightness, roughness, itchiness and scaliness of the skin, and can also trigger the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Dry skin also makes the skin more susceptible to allergies, infections and irritation because as the skin loses more water, the layer of the skin that acts as a barrier to irritants becomes weaker.

Feed your skin

Your skin is a reflection of your overall health. A radiant and healthy skin reflects a healthy body.

For glowing skin include in your diet lots of green vegetables and fruits to get the required doses of vitamin B and minerals. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are emerging as one of the most important components for proper skin hydration. In fact, deficiency of these essential fatty acids causes a peak in dry and itchy skin along with brittle nails. Good sources of omega fatty acids are fatty fish as well as nuts, avocados, flaxseed, green leafy vegetables and legumes. While we often do so much to care for our skin we may miss out the very basic thing—drinking enough water. This is one of the simplest, yet best things you can do for your skin; along with giving your body undisturbed sleep of 7– 8 hours. Caffeinated beverages exacerbate dry skin and should be avoided. Green tea, coconut water and fresh fruit juices help replenish and rehydrate, so enjoy them liberally.

Environment matters

Dry cold air, wind and even the heater air, steal the skin of its moisture, leaving it dry and rough. To simply increase the moisture in the air, using humidifiers is recommended. Although, hot showers may feel desirous and comfortable but they do harm as they aggravate moisture and lipid loss from the skin. Swap steaming hot showers with a lukewarm bath or just reduce the time that you expose your skin to piping hot water. Five minutes is more than enough to enjoy your shower and protect your skin from over-drying.

Even though the winter sun may feel heavenly, try to avoid excess sun exposure since there is a high concentration of UVA and UVB rays even during the winters, thereby leading to more dryness. Proper sunscreen [at least SPF 30+] with both UVA and UVB protection, prevents dryness as well as the sun’s other harmful effects like premature ageing and pigmentation.

Proper skin care

Avoid soap

A soap’s pH level is usually more than nine, while the skin’s pH is 5.5. This high pH causes the skin barrier to breakdown, exuding water, lipids and nutrients. This contributes to dryness and irritation. Excess usage of soap can even result in rashes known as ‘irritant dermatitis.’ No soap on the face, period.

Solution: Opt for moisturising washes. Body washes’ pHs are more balanced than soaps. Also, try to look for washes that include ingredients known as natural moisturising factors. These are substances that help to retain water in the skin and increase the skin’s moisture and suppleness. Dryness implies less natural moisturising factors in the skin, and so it is important to add them back through your skin care regime. Also, it is absolutely important to refrain from using soap on the face. A mild cleansing lotion preferably with natural moisturising factors and one that does not lather is ideal.

Moisturise

Most people bathe, rub their skin dry with a towel and then get dressed. This process ensures that the water from their shower doesn’t penetrate their skin, resulting in a drier epidermis [outer most layer of the skin].

Solution: The correct post-bath regime should be to first pat the skin dry instead of rubbing. Then, use a body lotion generously and immediately after bathing to seal in the moisture. The body lotion does not need to be expensive but effective. It should contain at least five per cent urea for optimal water binding as well as essential natural moisturising factors. Hands and feet require special care, particularly during winters, since they have the thickest epidermis and as mentioned before, urea-based products work the best for these regions.

Many people complain that using a body lotion or cream can feel sticky and greasy. To alleviate this problem, while still delivering adequate hydration, I recommend using products with gel-emulsions, which have the feel of a gel with the moisturising effect of a cream. Non-comedogenic products for people with oily skin are preferable as it does not heighten appearance of black/white heads or pimples.

Go the milky way

Trying out hand-picked home remedies every now and then might actually take you closer to the soft, supple skin you desire without burning a hole in your pocket.

Solution: Keep aside 4 – 5 tsp of raw milk every morning before boiling it to brew your tea/coffee. Add a few drops of rose water to it and dab this mixture over your face and body. Leave it for about 15 minutes and rinse with cold water. Some of the most attractive women in history like Cleopatra and Nefertiti have acclaimed the beautifying benefits of these baths.

Make-up tips for winter

Changing trends and changing seasons are always refreshing however winter poses the worst challenge for the skin and not to mention make-up. These basic tips will help you retain your skin’s lustre.

Solution: Put aside all your rich foundations and switch to tinted moisturisers. Avoid powders or mineral based products. Always apply a lip balm before wearing a lipstick and remember ‘less is more.’

Follow these basic guidelines and say sayonara to dry skin this winter.

This was first published in the December 2012 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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